Manu-Sarabjot create history for India with mixed team bronze

NEW DELHI: Manu Bhaker and Sarabjot Singh created history for India on Tuesday as they won the bronze medal in the 10m air pistol mixed team event at the National Shooting Centre in Chateauroux.

This is India’s second medal from the Paris Olympics after Manu won the women’s 10m air pistol bronze on Sunday.

After ending the qualification in third position on Monday, Manu and Sarabjot were up against South Korea’s Lee Wonho and Oh Ye Jin in the bronze playoff.

Though the Indian pair lost the first round of shooting, they won the next four rounds (two points for each) to go 8-2 up following which they never lost the lead. The South Koreans tried fighting back but Manu and Sarabjot had gone far ahead by taking a 14-6 lead.

Manu was brilliant on Tuesday. Barring an 8.3, 9.6 and 9.4, she never shot below 10 in her thirteen rounds with her best coming in the second and third shots – 10.7.

Sarabjot made a slow start with 8.6 but slowly started catching up, ending with two 10.2s to win the contest 16-10.

In the gold medal playoff, Serbians Zorana Arunovic and Damir Mikec won the top spot of the podium by beating Turkey’s Sevval IlaydaTarhan and Yusuf Dikec 16-14.

By winning the bronze, Manu has become the first Indian to win two medals from the same edition of the Olympic Games. She has also become the second Indian woman after shuttler PV Sindhu to win two Games medals. She also joined wrestler Sushil Kumar and Sindhu to have won two individual Olympic medals.